Page 5 of Bought

If I wanted a woman, I went elsewhere for relief.

The young woman stood on the dais looking like she’d been dipped in silver, a virgin straight out of the stories. Her attention was down, her eyes veiled by lashes the same unexpected dark color as her eyebrows, the very picture of shy innocence.

Andre murmured something from his place beside the dais and after a moment, her hands fell away, revealing the cluster of silver blonde curls between her thighs. The flush that crept up her lovely body was visible to everyone.

Beautiful. She was beautiful.

A thread of desire wound through me, but again, I ignored it. It was purely a reflexive male response to a lovely female, nothing more. I certainly wasn’t going to act on it.

I had no idea what had driven this woman to think that selling herself for a night to anyone who would buy her was a good idea, and I’d likely never know. But one thing was for certain: the humiliation of standing in front of everyone naked would be the only humiliation she’d have to endure.

I’d make sure she went home tonight with her virginity intact and a great deal of money in her bank account.

Andre said something else and slowly, she lifted her pointed chin, dark lashes lifting as she made shy eye contact with the crowd. Surely, it had to be a performance, this shyness, this pretend innocence. Why else the drama of the red cloak?

Again, I felt the tug of unwilling interest and found myself leaning forward almost, watching her. Waiting for the mask to drop. And as if the movement had caught her attention, her gaze found mine, flaring in what looked like recognition. And then with something else: challenge.

A flicker of electricity moved like static over my skin, the stirring of an old hunger. A hunger I hadn’t felt in years.

No one knew about my sexual preferences, not Atlas, not even Caleb.

No one knew about the clubs I went to, the private playrooms I visited. The dominance I dealt out. I liked my submissives obedient, following my orders and never testing me. I had a reputation for strictness, and it was well-earned. I liked control.

So, there should have been no reason why that fleeting look of challenge from the virgin on the dais should hit me like a slap. A short, sharp shock of awareness, making the dominant in me growl.

Juliana had once been that kind of challenge, all red-headed passion and fire. I’d loved it. I’d loved her. But I wasn’t looking for that again. Caleb liked a brat because he liked a fight, but I didn’t.

I was a different man from what I’d once been. A harder man. I didn’t want a challenge and I didn’t want a test. I didn’t have the patience for either these days, not when Isabel took up all my energy.

I liked to save women even as I liked to dominate them, opposing desires that I’d managed to accommodate in my life, but I wasn’t going to be dominating this particular woman. She was far too young, and I was here to save her, nothing more.

Her gaze dropped before mine, sending a ripple of satisfaction through me, but I ignored that feeling too. It had no place here, and if the Dom in me was raising its head, it meant I needed to visit the club I’d been favoring currently. Very private, very discreet, with a sweet sub who did everything I told her with no argument. I needed a sub to settle me, not make things worse.

I could feel someone watching me and I glanced to the side, finding Atlas staring at me with a speculative look in his eyes.

Cal and I had met him years ago when Cal had been part of a crime network run by a man called Old Nick. The Blackwoods were old money, corrupt money, and Atlas, who’d been eighteen at the time, had been roped into it through no fault of his own.

We’d helped him get away from his family and start his construction company, which had branched into real estate and now owned half of Manhattan. He was ambitious, driven, and a playboy of epic proportions.

I disapproved of his behavior too.

I met his golden eyes, giving him back stare for stare.

He only grinned, the bastard.

Up on the dais, Andre had taken the girl’s elbow and helped her off it, once again securely wrapped in her cloak. Then he came back and smiled at the audience. “As you can see, a delightful young woman who will no doubt give one of you a delightful evening. So, I’m going to start the bidding off at ten thousand.”

Atlas, of course, gave Andre a nod, and I knew he’d put in a bid just to mess with me. I said nothing, letting the others in the room also add their bids. It was older men mostly, salivating at the thought of that young blonde in their beds, but there was also competition from an older couple who’d clearly taken a shine to her.

The bidding climbed up.

She was a prize, everyone wanting a piece of her, and I could see why. She was the perfect mix of beauty and innocence, exactly what you wanted if virginity was your thing.

Sadly for them, they would not be getting their hands on her.

Atlas gave me another look, raising a brow, but again, I had ignoring Atlas down to a fine art.

I’d wait until the bidding faltered and then I’d put my own bid in, ensuring she got the best price possible. Because after all, she was doing this for a reason, and it wasn’t just because she wanted to get naked in front of a crowd.